One Call
by jadephantom
Summary: Danny has been captured by Valerie and Vlad is his only option for rescue. Will Vlad save the day, or let Danny perish? Even I don't know yet. PRE-PP
1. Trouble in the School

Danny is on the brink of being captured by Valerie and he's getting worn out. Sam has an idea that might save everyone, but Danny isn't going to like it. PRE-PP

Hey everyone! This is my first fic. I'm still getting used to writing for fictional characters, so I hope this wasn't too out of character. So please review, and tell me what you think. Should I continue the story?

Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom or any of these characters. I just like making up stories about them.

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**One Call**

A Danny Phantom Fic

Valerie had finally gotten him. He was mere feet from slipping into her destructive and revenge-bent clutches.

Her new maniacal plan had been to trap him within a ghost shield that surrounded the school, so that he had to equally concentrate on avoiding getting hit himself by her wild shots, and on ensuring that none of his panicking classmates were harmed either.

"Darn it!" he exclaimed as a particularly painful shot of pink energy hit him in the shoulder. He recovered quickly though, and flew over to a huddle of quivering students just in time to construct a shield before a stray ecto-bomb detonated.

Valerie continued her careless pursuit through the halls. "I'll get you ghost! You ruined my life; you ruined everything!" she shrieked while lockers melted all around her from the sheer heat of her crazed attack.

Danny was growing tired from the seemingly-endless chase. He couldn't keep up his exhausting tactics forever, and decided to try distracting the revenge-bent teen. "Valerie, please stop. You could seriously hurt someone!"

"As long as I get you in the process, I don't care! Do you have any idea what you did to me?"

Danny paused, unsure how to continue. "Listen, please. I know what happened to you, and I'm sorry. But it wasn't me! I didn't turn you this obsessed hunter." He knew she would never believe him, but tried to calm her regardless.

"How can you say that it wasn't you! You were the only one around when my life was ruined—you and your stupid dog!" Instead of calming her, Danny's comment had further provoked her. The engines on her jet sled roared to life and she sped toward the apologetic ghost boy. She wildly fired every weapon in her arsenal, forcing Danny to go intangible. She eventually drove him to retreat further down the destroyed halls.

"AHHHH!" students exclaimed as they saw the speeding duo zooming around a corner. Valerie aimed right towards them, forcing Danny to dive and deflect the shots. When he turned around, Valerie was right behind him, with a dangerous and charged ecto-gun pointed in his face. Danny yelped with surprise and invisibly sunk through the tiled floor.

He arrived in some unused, downstairs classrooms, and immediately started looking for a place to hide. _Hopefully Valerie won't try to hurt the students if I'm not there too_, Danny thought. _But I really need a way out of here. I can't fight well with so many people to protect, and Valerie won't ever stop until she has me dead_.

Desperately, Danny pulled out his cell phone and dialed Sam's number. She picked up quickly and answered in a hushed voice, "Danny, where are you? Things are getting way out of hand up here. I think Valerie's gone crazy!"

"I know, I know. Just try to stay calm, all right? I can't keep fighting for much longer, but Valerie seems like she could go on forever. I don't know what to do." Danny sighed nervously and wiped sweat and blood from his pounding forehead, waiting for Sam to answer.

"I'm not sure that Tucker and I will be much help to you. All we can do is try to keep everyone safe and out of the way. We can't get out of the school; the shield blocks humans too."

"Yikes! We're all trapped and I can't do anything about it. I feel so helpless; it's horrible!"

"Calm down Danny. We'll get through this. Tucker had an idea. We might not be able to get out, but he's pretty sure that someone on the outside with the right technology might be able to get in."

"Heck, it's worth a shot," Danny said, defeated. "Hey, I have to be quiet. I think I hear someone in the hallway."

Sure enough, Valerie's crazed voice reverberated down the hall and penetrated the classroom where Danny was hiding. "Oh ghost boy…Come out, come out wherever you are. You know you can't hide forever. I will get you, and I'll make you regret that you were ever born!"

"Hey Sam," Danny whispered, "Valerie's in the hallway and she's getting closer. Quick, what's your plan? I need something, anything, please," he panted into the phone pressed against his clammy ear.

"Tucker thinks he knows the only person who can help us out. It's just…you really won't like it."

Growing more desperate as he heard Valerie's uneven footsteps stumbling down the hall, Danny breathed, "I don't care who it is. We just need a way out of here! Valerie's about to find me."

Danny's heart pounded in his chest; he thought it was so loud that Valerie would hear it through the classroom door. "I'm sorry, but he's the only one we could think of who could help us…" Sam said shakily.

"Sam, I don't care! Whoever it is, they're better than dying like this!" Danny almost exploded from his hiding spot with his outpour of anxiety. This time, he was sure Valerie had heard him, for the footsteps quickened and grew louder, pressing more and more painfully against his eardrums. "Sam, quick! Who is it?!"

Even the banging of Valerie's foot breaking down the classroom door couldn't block out the name that Sam hesitantly whispered into Danny's ear: "Vlad."

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Thanks for reading! Please review.


	2. Call a Creeper

Sorry it's been so long, but I've been really busy. Here's a short but hopefully interesting chapter. Let me know if I was able to keep to keep Vlad relatively in character.

Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom or any of the characters.

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_Previously:_

"_Calm down Danny. We'll get through this. Tucker had an idea. We might not be able to get out, but he's pretty sure that someone on the outside with the right technology might be able to get in."_

_Danny's heart pounded in his chest; he thought it was so loud that Valerie would hear it through the classroom door. "I'm sorry, but he's the only one we could think of who could help us…" Sam said shakily. _

_Even the banging of Valerie's foot breaking down the classroom door couldn't block out the name that Sam hesitantly whispered into Danny's ear: "Vlad."_

**One Call**

A Danny Phantom Fic

"Danny! Danny, are you there? What was that noise? Was it Valerie? Are you OK? Danny!!!" Sam grew hysterical on the other end of the line when Danny wouldn't answer. She shifted nervously against the partially-destroyed classroom wall and turned towards and equally jittery Tucker.

"Did he say anything? Is he still there?" he asked.

"No. He didn't say anything. I just hope it was our plan that surprised him and not Valerie." Just as Sam was finishing her sentence, a loud noise suddenly came from the still-open phone lying on her lap.

"Oh ghost-boy, I know you're in here. That little phone-call of yours gave you away," Valerie's crazed and broken voice was emitted from the phone. It was loud enough that other panicking students in the classroom were able to hear it. Before Sam or Tucker could try to explain it however, a different voice issued from the phone.

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"Shoot! Where'd my phone go?" Danny's whisper was accompanied by some rustling as he was probably searching for his still-open phone. Realization dawned on the rest of the people in the classroom, including the teachers, and they all crowded around Sam and Tucker to hear what was to become of their hero.

"You can't hide in this classroom forever, Danny," Valerie's sharp voice sounded too close to Danny for comfort. He scrambled out from beneath the desk where he had been hiding and made a break for the door.

He didn't even make it halfway there before slammed into a chalkboard by a blast from Valerie's ectogun. The board broke upon impact and the tiny shards fell down upon Danny's bruised head. He couldn't move beneath the pile of rubble and he was forced to watch helplessly as Valerie stalked over to his trapped form with a victorious smile plastered across her face.

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"I finally have you, Phantom, and no one here can even hope to save you." The students huddled around Sam's phone gasped in surprise and worry that their only hope of escaping Valerie's merciless wrath had been compromised.

It was Tucker who spoke up with his plan. "There is still some hope of getting out of this mess. I know the one person we can call who might have the technology able to get us out of the ghost shield. The only is, he's a ghost, and he can't normally be trusted. But I think he has enough at stake in this situation to merit his intervention. Are you all willing to give him a try?"

There was a chorus of hesitant nods around the room and Sam grabbed Tucker to call Vlad, while handing her phone to Tucker so he could continue listening in on Danny.

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Vlad was in his private limo, driving to a Dalv Corporation meeting, when his cell phone rang. He leisurely plucked the device from his coat pocket and squinted at the unfamiliar number. He flipped open the phone regardless and said casually, "This is Vlad Masters."

"Uh…hi," came a girl's hesitant reply.

"Hello to you as well, young lady. Who is this?"

"Um, yeah…this is Sam. I Danny's friend and I was calling to—" she started to reply, but Vlad cut her off.

"Well, it's certainly pleasant to hear from you Samantha. Before you continue, how's my Daniel been fairing lately?" Vlad retorted with a tone of over-interest in the matter of Danny's health.

"That's what I'm calling about. You see, Valerie's gone crazy and is attacking the school and she has Danny and there's a ghost shield and none of us can get out and I can't believe I'm saying this, but we need your help," Sam said all in one breath. It felt good to let some of her anxiety out even if she was talking to a fruit loop like Vlad.

"Now Samantha, you know me, so you should know that I won't indulge in such trivial matters as assisting teenagers with school unless I have a motive. Other than Daniel's safety, can you provide me with any more compelling reasons to assist you? I am sincerely concerned with Daniel's well-being, but I'm sure he can handle himself against a hormone-driven teen with a few guns."

"You don't understand, Vlad! Danny's in serious trouble! Valerie wore him out and we think she finally has him, and we don't know what she's going to do to him; I think she's finally snapped!"

"Although I am certain that you are exaggerating, I probably should assist young Daniel if I should expect him to ever trust me. Very well, I suppose the board members can wait a few minutes while I clear up this matter quickly. Good day." With that sharp and obviously disgruntled comment, Vlad promptly snapped his phone shut.

Hearing this, the chauffer asked, "Should I alter our course, sir?"

"I suppose you should. Turn the car around; there are a few items I need to pick up from the lab."

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Thanks for reading. Please review and I hope you're enjoying the story so far!


	3. Shards of Life

Hey everyone! Thanks for reviewing! I hope the characters aren't too out of character, but if you have any suggestions or constructive criticism, please let me know.

Sorry updating has been really random. Schoolwork's tough junior year and right now I'm in the middle of exams. Wish me luck on US History tomorrow!

Here's chapter 3. I'm dedicating this chapter to Tello whose review has been the most enthusiastic and encouraging (thanks!). This chapter's super angsty and finally answers your questions of why Valerie has snapped. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I totally wish I owned Danny Phantom, but if I did, I wouldn't have canceled the show. Obviously, but sadly, he's not mine and he never will be.

_Previously:_

"_You can't hide in this classroom forever, Danny," Valerie's sharp voice sounded too close to Danny for comfort. He scrambled out from beneath the desk where he had been hiding and made a break for the door._

_He didn't even make it halfway there before slammed into a chalkboard by a blast from Valerie's ectogun. The board broke upon impact and the tiny shards fell down upon Danny's bruised head. He couldn't move beneath the pile of rubble and he was forced to watch helplessly as Valerie stalked over to his trapped form with a victorious smile plastered across her face…_

"_Although I am certain that you are exaggerating, I probably should assist young Daniel if I should expect him to ever trust me. Very well, I suppose the board members can wait a few minutes while I clear up this matter quickly. Good day." With that sharp and obviously disgruntled comment, Vlad promptly snapped his phone shut._

**One Call**

A Danny Phantom Fic

Danny felt a gloved hand plow through the rubble of the destroyed chalkboard and close around his throat. Valerie yanked him out from beneath the dust and debris. Before he knew it, he was pressed up against the wall by his throat. Valerie's death grip was preventing him from getting much air, so he started struggling fruitlessly. Danny was sure he would suffocate when Valerie's death grip suddenly loosened. She was searching for something, but when she couldn't find it on her belt, she turned her frantic eyes upon Danny.

Valerie began mumbling to herself and glanced quickly around the room. "I can't find it… got to be here somewhere…get it later…make him pay…finally my turn," was some of the jumbled mess that Danny could make out amidst her rambling. After her quick scan of the now-destroyed classroom, Valerie turned to look at Danny again and he finally got a good look at her wild expression. Her normally smooth hair was a mess, with dark scraggly pieces sticking out of her sloppy bun in every direction. Her lips were dry and chapped; she kept licking them either in pleasure at her accomplishment or in a harmless attempt to keep them moist. Scratches littered her previously flawless skin and moist and slimy nose was running, causing her to sniffle constantly. Most disturbing were her eyes. Her peaceful teal orbs had been overrun by a tornado of fierce green. The frantic, blood-shot eyes barely blinked and were open so wide Danny thought they might come out. Overall, Valerie looked crazy.

Valerie pulled her face closer to Danny's. He tried to shrink away from her terrifying gaze, but her grip on his neck prevented his escape. He could feel her breathing; it was short and shallow. Her heart was pumping audibly—a sure sign of her nervousness and excitement. Finally, with her nose almost touching his, she broke the tense silence, "You're disgusted. I can tell, Phantom. You're disgusted by me and what I've become, but you have no right to be. You're the one that did this to me! You did! It was all your fault! You know, I was starting to forget about it. About you and your stupid dog that lost my dad his job. We were doing fine; the apartment was small, but bearable. But yesterday, that all changed. My dad lost his job…again. We have no money, and soon we won't even have a place to live. I was wallowing in my miserable self-pity when I remembered whose fault this was originally. _I_ know whose fault it was. Do _you_ Phantom?" Valerie inquired accusingly.

Danny trembled beneath her grasp, but didn't reply. He was too shocked by her sudden change in circumstances. Before, he had convinced himself that none of Valerie's troubles were caused by him, and that she was only mad because he was present when her life was destroyed. But now, he wasn't so sure. He may not have caused it directly, but if it weren't for him, none of this would have happened. Danny couldn't even admit it yet, but he finally recognized that Valerie's suffering was partially his fault.

"Do you, Phantom?" Valerie said more forcefully this time. Danny shook his head, unable to admit it.

"Yes you do!" Valerie almost shrieked. "It was you! How can you deny it! There's no doubt about it; it was you who did this to me!" she spit in his face.

Danny looked away, hiding his shame, leaving her fuming in front of him. Miraculously, after a few seconds, Valerie calmed herself. She took a deep breath, and let it out ever-so-slowly. When she was composed again, she continued, "Anyway, I shouldn't be too mad at you right now."

Danny's head shot up and he stared at shocked. He half-hoped that she had chosen to forgive him, even though he knew that Valerie's situation had gone miles into the realm of the unforgivable. He knew it couldn't be true, but he still hoped because of her seemingly sincere statement.

Valerie chuckled darkly at his surprise and naïve hope. "I shouldn't be too mad at you now, because you deserve everything that's coming to you later. I will make you pay in ways you couldn't even imagine in your darkest nightmares. And at the end, you will be truly sorry for everything that you've done…that is of course, if you're still living."

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Thanks for reading! Please review and tell me:

1. what I could do to make characters more believable

2. where I should go with this story (I hate to admit it, but I've just been blindly writing - help me!)

3. any random suggestion, comments, etc.


	4. It Can Always Get Worse

Here's another chapter. I only uploaded the last one yesterday! The only bad news is that it's short. It should be interesting though. Please continue reviewing and giving me suggestions. I really appreciate them, and they're really helpful.

Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom (sorry, I'm feeling uncreative with this saying today).

_Previously:_

_Danny trembled beneath her grasp, but didn't reply. He was too shocked by her sudden change in circumstances. Before, he had convinced himself that none of Valerie's troubles were caused by him, and that she was only mad because he was present when her life was destroyed. But now, he wasn't so sure. He may not have caused it directly, but if it weren't for him, none of this would have happened. Danny couldn't even admit it yet, but he finally recognized that Valerie's suffering was partially his fault._

_Valerie chuckled darkly at his surprise and naïve hope. "I shouldn't be too mad at you now, because you deserve everything that's coming to you later. I will make you pay in ways you couldn't even imagine in your darkest nightmares. At the end, you will be truly sorry for everything that you've done…that is of course, if you're still living."_

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**One Call**

A Danny Phantom Fic

"Ugghh!" Sam sighed as she hung up the phone after her conversation with Vlad.

Tucker turned toward her, and tilted his head, silently asking what was bothering her. "It's just, Vlad is so…I don't even know. He's just creepy. That's it! He's sly and evil and creepy. I mean, he just has to twist his rescue attempt into a sick plan to gain Danny's trust so his 'future son,'" Sam said the disturbing phrase while inserting air quotes, "will someday join him."

"That's Vlad for you," Tucker replied. "Nothing he does is ever out of concern or the goodness of his heart. I'm not even sure that he has one." Tucker paused to type his idea into his PDA and continued, "At least he said yes. I mean, theoretically, things could be much, much worse."

"Don't say that!" Sam said hastily in a whisper, while trying to keep Tucker from saying anything more. "Every time you say that 'things could be worse,' you jinx us, and things _do_ get worse."

Tucker pondered her remark. "You know, I've kept track of every time that has happened, and there is no significant pattern or amount of occurrences to suggest that the phenomena is anything but a coincidence. It's all probability, and I've done the math—trust me."

"Well, whether it's a coincidence or not, now is not the time for our already bad situation to get worse because one of your clever remarks."

Right on cue, a girl in the classroom screamed and fell away from one of the classroom windows. She was trembling on the floor as she pointed outside. People gathered and tried to spot what she was so terrified about. People crowded around the window and suddenly froze in fear and shock. Sam and Tucker pushed their way to the front of the crowd to see what was going on. When they spotted it, Sam gasped and Tucker swore under his breath.

Finally someone said, "Well this isn't good."

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Again, sorry that was so short, but I figure short, dramatic segments that I am able to update ofter are better than dragging out long ones that I can only update once in a while. Also, my thoughts are more cohesive thsi way. And I bet you can't wait to see what everyone's staring at. The truth is though, I have no idea! And sorry about the major cliffhanger, but I have no idea where this story is going so it just comes out in small bursts. Please review and help me brainstorm. And if anyone has a good idea for what terrifying thing/person/ghost/whatever is outside the window, let me know and I might write about it! Thanks for reading. Until next time.


	5. Teenage Munchies

Sorry, but here's another short but sweet chapter. I'm being mean and I haven't yet revealed what Sam and Tucker saw out of the window, but this rules out one possibility. This is just a cute characterization chapter before I get back into some action. Enjoy, and please let me know if I managed to stay in-character.

Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom, obviously.

_Previously:_

_Right on cue, a girl in the classroom screamed and fell away from one of the classroom windows. She was trembling on the floor as she pointed outside. People gathered and tried to spot what she was so terrified about. People crowded around the window and suddenly froze in fear and shock. Sam and Tucker pushed their way to the front of the crowd to see what was going on. When they spotted it, Sam gasped and Tucker swore under his breath._

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**One Call**

A Danny Phantom Fic

Vlad Masters sat idly in the back of his extravagant, black limousine, fiddling distractedly with the ties and zippers of the duffel he had brought from his mansion. It was stuffed to the brim with ghost hunting equipment, and most of it was entirely unnecessary given that he was a ghost himself. But the ever-excessive Vlad had brought them regardless—they were more for show and drama than for actual functionality.

Annoyed with his own boredom, he straightened up and sighed. Nothing was fun in his life anymore. That is, nothing except constantly pestering Danny. He had grown accustomed to his absurd wealth, and running extremely successful companies was no longer a battle or even a hobby. Sure he was brilliant, but he was also a lonely, old social outcast; no one but Danny could ever accept him or even get close to understanding him. It was pathetic and embarrassing that his only hope of true friendship lay in the naïve hands of a fourteen-year-old boy. To put it lightly, he was miserable.

Vlad chanced a glance out the window, hoping to abandon some of his painful thoughts. He was getting close to Caspar High. While the limo was passing the Nasty Burger, Vlad randomly wondered why Danny and his friends ate there. The food must be drowned in grease and all the flavor must have been baked out of it after being deep-fried. On a whim, Vlad, the reserved and refined billionaire, ordered his chauffeur to stop at the unhygienic food establishment. Although he doubted he would enjoy it, Vlad decided to explore another possible similarity between himself and Danny.

Having extensively profiled Danny's life, which included his eating habits, Vlad knew exactly what his future son would order: a chocolate milkshake, a cheeseburger, and a large fry. In an attempt to connect with the younger generation, Vlad told his chauffeur to order him the same thing. The obedient man raised an eyebrow at his employer's request, but went inside to order the food.

The chauffeur soon returned with a greasy paper bag of food and an enormous cup of chocolaty goodness. When handed his meal, Vlad gagged at the obscene portions. "I'm supposed to eat all of this?"

The chauffeur, obviously used to eating fast food as evidenced by his large stomach, simply nodded politely, even though he was noticeably disturbed by his employer's cluelessness. Vlad pulled a French-fry out of the bag as the limo continued on its way to Caspar High. He tentatively took a small nibble, and automatically recoiled from the unfamiliar and overly-salty taste.

Vlad chuckled morosely at his failed attempt at being normal. He wondered how Danny lived on that stuff. "I think he should have been dead by now for consuming all of that sodium."

He handed the rejected container of French-fries up to the chauffeur who gladly accepted them. Next, Vlad resolved to try the chocolate shake, but he had a bad feeling that his reaction would unfortunately be the same.

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Thanks for reading. Please review!


	6. My City is Your City

I'm so sorry that it's been so long but I just had no ideas for continuing this story. I think I'm back on track now though. I officially must thank Miriam for reminding me that people actually want this story continued. So continue it I shall! Thanks for sticking with me guys and sorry for the wait.

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**One Call**

A Danny Phantom Fic

"Well this isn't good," a brave student plainly stated, trying to lighten the tense atmosphere of the room. A few people turned to glare at him, but soon returned their gaze to widow, quietly observing their impending doom.

Vlad had the straw of his chocolate milkshake in his mouth and was about to take a sip when his limousine suddenly ground to an abrupt halt. The chauffer turned around to face the billionaire and motioned for him to look out the front window.

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The city was in chaos, to put it lightly. Traffic patterns were disturbed by overturned vehicles and brutally-detached pieces of buildings. Amity Park's citizens were fleeing wildly, clogging the already busy streets. Vlad's chauffer had to leap into the passenger seat to avoid a brick that was wildly hurled at the black, tinted windshield. Vlad stepped out of the car and into the panicking street, clad in an immaculate suit. He looked quite out of place, but looked up at the sky with everyone else to identify the beings who were plaguing the city.

Ghosts. Hundreds of them. Flying and fighting and playing and inconsiderately making a mess of things. It didn't seem as though there was a leader to the madness until Vlad spotted Skulker. The hulking, metal machine rocketed towards the street and landed roughly on the pavement before an obviously disgruntled billionaire.

"What is this?" Vlad demanded.

"I'm just following your orders. You wanted an entourage and I brought the best and the biggest that money can buy."

"Yes, that is what I said. But I wanted a few intimidating ghosts, but you drag every moronic destructor out of the ghost zone and set them loose in _my_ city! You do remember that I'm the mayor, don't you?"

"Well…I just thought you might need a big following for whatever you're planning," Skulker prodded timidly, now nervous that he had seriously displeased his boss.

"A big following for what I'm planning! Ha. You're hilarious," Vlad stated blandly. "If you cared to know, I was planning on rescuing a fourteen-year-old boy from a girl on jet-sled who happens to have a ghost shield. I was _not_ planning on taking over the capital!"

Skulker turned to observe the hoard of ghosts tearing apart the city. He put his finger to his chin in mock-thought. "Now that you mention it, they do seem a _little_ excessive."

"Only a _little_ excessive! Are you mad?!!! Is the circuitry in that puny metal skull of yours fried?!!!" Vlad threw his hands up in exasperation. He paced back and forth across the cracked and crumbled asphalt before facing Skulker. "I'll tell you what…If this mess isn't cleaned up by the time I get Daniel and classmates out of Caspar High, you'll wish your circuitry was fried, because I can assure you that what I have planned for your punishment is exponentially more painful. Do you understand?"

Skulker nodded his head slightly in somber submission before taking off after the rampaging ghosts. Vlad let out a frustrated sigh and walked slowly back to his limousine, hands in his perfectly-tailored pockets.

"You truly can't trust anyone in this world."

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Thanks for reading. Sorry it's been so long, but I hope you enjoyed this chapter! See you next time!


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